Cover The Yang Di Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar during his coronation in Kuala Lumpur on July 20 (Photo: Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar/Facebook)
The Yang Di Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar during his coronation in Kuala Lumpur on July 20 (Photo: Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar/Facebook)
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In a grand coronation ceremony at Istana Negara on July 20, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim was formally sworn in as the new Agong of Malaysia
A constitutional monarchy, Malaysia’s rotational system of electing a king from among nine Malay rulers is the only one of its kind in the world. On January 31, 2024 His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim was sworn in as the new ruler of Malaysia at the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Signing of Declaration of Office and Taking of Oath Ceremony at Istana Negara’s Balairung Seri, during the 264th Conference of Rulers Meeting.
This weekend, the ruler’s coronation took place in a televised ceremony marked with cannon fire and traditional pageantry at the national palace in Kuala Lumpur, attended by over 700 guests, including Brunei royal Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Brunei’s Prince Abdul Mateen and his wife Anisha Rosnah, and King Hamad Isa al Khalifa of Bahrain.
Dressed in traditional royal investiture and headgear of ornate black and gold, Sultan Ibrahim and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, were greeted by military salute before they proceeded to the throne. In the ceremony, Sultan Ibrahim read the royal address and was presented with a copy of the Quran. The monarch also received a gold dagger, a symbol of power.
Hailing from the southern state of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim, 65, is known for being forthright and outspoken on various issues, from transportation projects to healthcare and education for women and children. Married to Raja Zarith Sofiah, Sultan Ibrahim is the father of five sons and one daughter.
A military man through and through, Sultan Ibrahim participated in the Young Officers Tactical Course at the Malaysian Army Training School after completing his secondary education, and he was eventually made a platoon commander. He trained with the Royal Malaysian Navy for several months at the base in Lumut, following his successful training as a helicopter pilot for the Royal Malaysian Airforce, where he was made parade commander in 1982. He is also a commissioned member of the US Navy Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) team.
When Sultan Ibrahim’s late father, HRH Sultan Iskandar ascended the Johor throne in 1981, Sultan Ibrahim was proclaimed Crown Prince. He was later made the Regent of Johor from 1984 to 1989 when his father was appointed the eighth Yang Di Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
An avid sportsman, Sultan Ibrahim favours tennis, sailing, shooting, driving, skydiving and polo. Dubbed the People's Ruler, he spearheaded prominent charitable initiatives in Johor that included the Johor Royal Excursion (Kembara Mahkota Johor), a high-powered motorcycle convoy that travelled throughout the state of Johor to interact with the people and engage with underprivileged communities throughout the state.
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The Johor ruler’s love for automobiles is evident in his extensive personal collection of cars and motorcycles, including Harley-Davidson motorcycles, customised Mack trucks, Morgan three-wheelers, Ford Mustangs, a Genesis G90 Limousine, Lamborghinis, Maseratis and Chevrolet Corvettes. According to Bernama, Sultan Ibrahim acquired his class 26 locomotive driving license in 2010, the first Malaysian Sultan to do so.
He is famously known for driving a train over a 180km-journey from JB Sentral station to Segamat, one of several train journeys made by him since acquiring his license. In June 2011, he also drove the last train to set off from the now-defunct Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in Singapore, opening up about how his great-grandfather paved the way for the first train to run from that station when the Causeway first opened in 1923.
Sultan Ibrahim’s love of fast-paced sports and automobiles is shared by his sons, Tunku Abdul Rahman Hassanal Jeffri, Tunku Idris Iskandar Ismail Abdul Rahman, and Tunku Ismail, the Crown Prince of Johor.
The Johor ruler’s philanthropic efforts have been broadly felt across the state via the Sultan Ibrahim Johor Foundation. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Johor royal family donated RM123 million to help 1.6 million people, also distributing test kits and healthcare items while providing essential supplies and on-the-ground support during floods, storms, fires and other national crises. The Johor royal family is also known for its firm stance to protect the rights of children and women.
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Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
